Family Dispute Resolution (FDR)
When you are navigating post separation arrangements, it can be hard to know where to start. Our Family Dispute Resolution (FDR) service offers a way for families to work together to find solutions.
Home / Separating Families and Mediation / Family Dispute Resolution (FDR)
Separation and family conflict can be overwhelming. Whether you’re working out parenting arrangements, dividing property, or supporting your children through change, we can provide professional support and guidance.
At Relationship Matters, our Family Dispute Resolution service offers a respectful and structured way to resolve parenting and property matters without going to court. Our experienced, accredited Family Dispute Resolution Practitioners can support you and the other person to have difficult conversations, make informed decisions, and prioritise everyone’s wellbeing—especially your children’s.
Who is this for?
Family Dispute Resolution may be right for you if you are:
- Separating or have recently separated from a partner
- Trying to work through parenting, property or financial arrangements
- Finding communication difficult or conflict is escalating
- Hoping to avoid going to court and resolve things respectfully
We provide a culturally safe and inclusive service and welcome separated couples, co-parents, grandparents, carers and extended families—including LGBTQIA+ and culturally diverse families.
What can I expect?
Our job is to help you feel comfortable and supported throughout the entire process.
When you first get in touch, one of our friendly client services officers will explain the FDR process, explain our fees and help you book your intake session, whether you prefer to meet at one of our locations or online.
Before your first session you’ll be asked to fill out registration and consent for service forms. This helps us understand your situation better and explains the counselling process and your rights around privacy and confidentiality.
The process from there involves:
Individual intake sessions
Each person meets privately with an FDR practitioner for around 90 minutes. We’ll listen to your story, assess whether FDR is appropriate, and explain the next steps.
Joint mediation sessions
Where safe and suitable, we schedule mediation sessions where both parties:
- Share their perspectives
- Identify key issues
- Explore solutions and work toward agreement
Sessions usually run for 2–3 hours and can continue across multiple appointments depending on your needs. If you reach an agreement, we will type it up and provide a copy.
How can we help?
We support families to resolve a wide range of issues related to separation. We can assist with formulating Parenting Plans and Property and Financial Settlement. We provide Child Inclusive Mediation and Legally Assisted Family Dispute Resolution. We can also issue Section 60I Certificates.
Parenting Plans and Parenting Arrangements
After separation, many families want clear, practical arrangements for their children. These arrangements may include how much time children spend with each parent, how parents will communicate, and plans for special occasions or overseas travel.
Family Dispute Resolution helps parents develop clear, written parenting arrangements – also known as a Parenting Plan. We support parents in creating a plan that works for their particular situation and helps reduce stress for both children and adults.
A Parenting Plan is a written agreement that outlines parenting arrangements. It can include:
- Day-to-day care and handover logistics
- Special occasions, such as birthdays and holidays
- Schooling, extracurricular activities, and healthcare needs
- Communication between parents
- Financial matters beyond formal child support
- How disputes will be managed and the plan updated
- Any other matters relevant to the needs of your family
To be recognised under the Family Law Act 1975, a Parenting Plan must be voluntary, written, signed, and dated by both parents. While not legally enforceable like a court order, a Parenting Plan can carry weight if future legal action is needed.
Property and Financial Settlement
When you separate, decisions need to be made about how to divide your assets and debts — for example, will the house be sold, who keeps the car, and how will superannuation and liabilities be split?
We help separated couples negotiate the division of assets by providing a safe, structured setting to help you reach mutually acceptable outcomes. We:
- Assist the parties to create shared lists of assets, debts and superannuation
- Facilitate discussions about contributions and future needs
- Support both parties to consider options available to them
Agreements reached in FDR are not legally binding. However, they can be made legally binding through Consent Orders or Binding Financial Agreements . We strongly recommend seeking independent legal advice alongside the FDR process and can assist you to find a family lawyer in your area.
Child-Inclusive Mediation (CIM)
Children have a right to express their views in matters that affect them and have those views heard. Our Child Inclusive Mediation process provides the opportunity for children to have their voices heard during post-separation decision making.
We assess all matters for Child Inclusive Mediation and where suitable and with parental consent, a trained Child Consultant meets with the child to:
- Explore their experience of separation and home life
- Use age-appropriate methods like play-based conversations
- Share impartial feedback and guidance with parents
This feedback helps parents make child-centred decisions that support their best interests and can help to strengthen co-parenting relationships.
Legally Assisted Family Dispute Resolution (LAFDR)
We also offer Legally Assisted Family Dispute Resolution, where lawyers attend the mediation session. This can help to:
- Encourage realistic negotiation based on relevant legal principles rights and likely court outcomes
- Address power imbalances between parties
- Formalise agreements into binding legal documents
You are welcome to bring your own lawyer to the session. For eligible clients, we may be able to arrange once-off funded legal support through our LAFDR Pilot Program. Your mediator will discuss the options available to you in your intake appointment.
Section 60I Certificates
Before applying to the court for parenting orders, most families must first attempt Family Dispute Resolution (FDR). Only accredited Family Dispute Resolution Practitioners can issue Section 60I Certificates.
Relationship Matters’ FDR practitioners can issue Section 60I Certificates in certain cases, such as when:
- One party didn’t attend mediation
- Mediation was deemed unsuitable
- Parties attended mediation and made a genuine effort to resolve the issues
- A genuine effort was not made during the session
- Mediation began but couldn’t be completed
If you make an application to court for parenting orders, you need to include a Section 60I certificate with your application.
How to book
Getting started is simple. Just reach out to our client services team who will answer any questions, talk you through fees and help you book your first appointment. While sessions are usually available quickly, wait times can vary depending on location.
Program fees
Fees are scaled based on your income. Concession rates are available.
Please let us know if you are experiencing financial hardship. Fee variation or relief can be assessed and applied.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. We are proud to support individuals, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, culture or ability. Our organisation is accredited under:
- Health and Community Service Standards
- Rainbow Tick Standards
- National Standards for Mental Health Services
Absolutely. Please let us know if you have a carer or would like a support person to attend with you.
We understand that sitting in the same room – or even on the same video call – can’t always be done. That’s why shuttle mediation, where you remain in separate rooms (either physically or virtually), and the mediator moves between is an option for mediation sessions.
Family Dispute Resolution is not suitable in all cases especially where there’s a risk of harm or significant power imbalance that cannot be addressed by the process. However, we strongly encourage you to attend an intake appointment, even if there are family violence concerns. The intake allows the practitioner to:
- Hear your circumstances in a safe, confidential, and trauma-informed way
- Make a proper assessment of suitability
- Ensure that you are not disadvantaged by simply being screened out without being heard
If FDR does proceed in matters involving family violence, process adjustments can be made such as:
- Shuttle mediation
- Separate arrival and departure times
- Online mediation
- Support persons present
- Detailed safety planning
But if it’s not safe or suitable, FDR won’t proceed – and the practitioner may provide a section 60I Certificate to demonstrate that mediation has been attempted.
A common misconception is that mediation cannot occur if there is an Intervention Order. This is not the case – most Intervention Orders have an exemption clause that allows the parties to participate in mediation.
Any agreements reached in mediation are not legally binding. However, if both parties agree, those arrangements can be turned into Consent Orders through a separate legal process. This is something you would typically do with your lawyer after the mediation session.
Not all mediations result in a full agreement – and that’s okay. Even if an agreement is not reached, the session might:
- Help clarify issues
- Improve communication
- Lead to a partial or interim agreement
- Open the door to a further mediation session or negotiations
This varies, but generally, from the initial intake, we can book a mediation session in about 4 to 6 weeks. In terms of the session duration – intakes are 90 minutes long and mediation sessions are generally between 2 to 3 hours long.
Yes. Having your lawyer attend can be really beneficial. You can bring your own lawyer, or if eligible, we can refer you to a partner legal service that provides free legal support at the mediation session.
Yes, through a process called Child Inclusive Mediation (CIM). Importantly, CIM is not about children making decisions. It’s about helping parents understand their children’s experiences, needs, and perspectives – to make more informed, child-focused decisions.